Assalamualaikum and Salam Sejahtera to all…
Hello everyone… this time I am sharing my knowledge and what in the world I know about Tomato, and as for a start, when I was a boy, I like to watch this cartoon character of Tomato, I dont remember the title of the series but I think it was a Japanese cartoon and actually still remembered how the song was… ‘tomato, tomato, tomato ma tot’ that’s how it was sound… hahaha…
So, how essential is Tomato in your daily cooking? As for me, I used tomato in about 85% of my cooking in many form: mostly sauce, salad, key ingredients and so on. In Italian cooking, Pomodoro is one of a must ingredient in their cooking and an Italian who doesn’t eat tomato, would be a shame… (is it?)… Also, as if your watch in any cooking in TVs or in a magazine or even in cookbook… I would say, every cook book using tomato as one of their ingredient except for those cake book or similar… correct me if I am wrong… ;)
So, the big question is… do you really know its nutritious content, uses and anything about it?
So, this is knowledge for us to learn and it is important that we know what we eat…so, keep reading, I m learning and at the same time, you should too…
Tomato
Tomato was believed to be originated in South America but now it is planted and used worldwide.
Vernacular Names: Tomato, Pomodoro, Love Apple, Rante Raja, Tomat (and many more…)
Botanical Name: Lycopersicon Esculentum Miller
Family Name: Solanaceae
Content: Edible portion of the ripe fruit contains 94% water, 3.6-4.3% carbohydrates, 1% protein, 0.6% fibre, 0.1-0.2% fat, calcium, carotenes, hydroxytryptamine, iron, lycopene, magnesium, narcotine, phosphorus, pattasium, quercetin, tryptemine, vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin E.
Bioactivities: Human skin may develop dermatitis if in contact with raw fruit juice or fresh wet plant. Lycopene is an antioxidant, protects against breast cancer, heart disease, lung disease, prostate cancer. Narcotine is an isoquinoline alkaloid that is analgesic, anticancer, antitussive. Solanine and solanidine are toxic compounds that can cause symptoms of poisoning. Solanine is a glycoalkaliod with antifeeding, antifungal and pesticidal activities; used in the treatment of asthma and epilepsy. Comsuming too much of this compounds can cause gastrointestinal and neurological problems, birth defects, death. Solanine is more toxic than solanidine.
Uses in food: Tomatoes are eaten fresh or cooked, is also dried, canned, made into candies, wine, paste. Green tomatoes are used to make pickles, preserve. Seeds oil is used as salad oil in making margarine.
Tips: Canned tomatoes have less carotenes and vitamin C compared to fresh tomatoes. Dried tomatoes and paste are rich in carotenes and vitamin E. Tomato juice often have much salt added and this hinders the absorption of potassium.
Tomato is antifungal. The antioxidants carotenes, vitamin C and vitamin E helps to lower the risks of many forms of cancer, also cataracts, heart disease and stroke.
Health and Healing:
Leaves: Pounded and applied on the skin to treat sunburn. Pounded with salt and placed on boils.
Fruits: Used as laxative, used to treat gravel, ophthalmia, ortitis, phthisis, typhoid fever. Pulp applied on burns, calluses, corns, heamorrhoids inflammations, scalds. Decoction taken as a diuretic to treat mouth and throat ulcers, urinary ailments. Cut a piece of green fruit to apply on ringworm. Dried fruits make into powder, mixed with water and taken to treat diarrhea.
Caution: Green tomato leaves contain the toxic chemical solanine and should not be eaten or used internally as herbal medicine. Raw green tomato fruits may not be suitable to be eaten. Degree of toxicity depends on the genetic type and surrounding conditions. Solanine cannot be destroyed by cooking. Acid from tomato products can leach out of the lining from the metal or plastic containers. Choose tomato products low in salt and packed in glass containers.
My Cherry Tomato Plant…
Tomato is one kind of vegetable that are easy to grow… this is Cherry Tomato I grow at my backyard, do I have to buy tomato and how essential tomato in my cooking and how fresh is my tomato? I can just pick them from my backyard… and eat it like that… ;)
So, do we all learnt from this… I hope we all do…
Info taken from ‘Ong Hean Chooi – Natural therapy vegetables for health and healing’
(this is not a copy and paste, it more into copy and typing…)
So, anymore info about Tomato you’d like to add, please link me up… or comment this post…
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And… as Bonus I am sharing one of a very basic soup recipe that has rich tomato taste…
Tomato Broth…
Tomato broth is one of the most basic soup that could turn into many different kind of soup…
First you’ll have to make chicken stock… (sorry I don’t have chicken stock pics)
1kg chicken trimming (preferred bones)
3 liter of water
100gm onion (chunk)
100gm carrot (chunk)
100gm celery (chunk)
15 nos peppercorn (white)
Mixed all ingredients in a pot and bring to boiled. Once boiled, simmer for about 2 hours. Remove all fats that surfaced. Strain thru a fine strainer.
Tips: this is a white chicken stock recipe for certain soups that uses white chicken stock, Brown chicken stock used different method that is: chicken and veggies need to be colored (either in oven or sauté in pot) then add water boiled and simmer. Chicken stock can be stored in chiller up to 3 to 4 days, so you can use it whenever you want it…
And then…. Tomato Broth...
Ingredients:
1kg tomato (diced)
100gm carrot (chunk)
100gm onion (chunk)
2 liter chicken stock
1 number cinnamon stick
10gm basil leaves
5nos bay leaves
Mixed all ingredients in pot except for basil which I pun in last minute. Bring to boiled and simmer for about 2 hours. At last minutes, add basil and continue simmer for about 3 minute.
Tips: no seasoning added as this is basic soup but then, it is already tasty… don’t believed me, try it… for more sweetness, you could add more carrots but remember if you put too much it would over taste tomato… and will become carrot broth… ;)
Once ready, get a clean piece of cloth and lined it on a strainer... see pic 
You may leave it just like this until all the water drained… it would take sometimes tho… ;) so, may be you could do some more preps for another dishes…
And it took me about two hour to completely strain it because I don’t want to waste every single drop of the broth…
Tomato Broth…
This is one kind of clear soup and of course a ‘Healthy’ choice…
So, I hope you all enjoy this post and learn a lot… so, better check out more of my up coming post for “what can I make out of tomato broth”…
Until next time… have a pleasant time…
Chef Nash
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